The terrorists have won

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"...the terrorists have won", or "...then the terrorists win" is a popular rhetorical phrase and meme used in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States and, to a lesser degree, the July 7, 2005 Terrorist Bombings in the United Kingdom.

[edit] Examples

On October 15, 2001, in justifying his decision to not postpone the Academy Awards, Frank Pierson, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences declared in an open letter to Reuters:

"There may be modifications in the nature of the ceremonies if those are appropriate, but this show, just as it did throughout the great crisis of World War II, just as it did during the Korean and Vietnamese conflicts, will go on. As life goes on. The world will see an American tradition continue, and will take notice.

"If we give in to fear, if we aren't able to do these simple and ordinary things, the terrorists have won the war."
On October 30, 2001, Martha Stewart sent a letter proposing that the regular Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Christmas party be cancelled, and that co-workers be forced to have subsidized company parties at their house. When regular staffers found the request bizarre, she sent out a company memo chastizing them for their hesitance, using this meme:

"This is a very, very special year, not just for MSO but for every company and person affected by the events of September 11. To me the terrorists have certainly succeeded if so few of you participate in a company-wide effort to 'get together.'"
On November 4, 2001, Ellen DeGeneres hosted the Emmy Awards, which had been postponed twice that year for worries that a showy celebration would seem inappropriate in the wake of the attacks. To lighten the mood, she famously delivered the quip:

"We're told to go on living our lives as usual, because to do otherwise is to let the terrorists win, and really, what would upset the Taliban more than a gay woman wearing a suit in front of a room full of Jews?"
On November 25, 2001 British Liberal Democrat Charles Kennedy argued against the imposition of liberty restricting laws in the UK, stating that:

"Well the right to life and the right to the civil liberties that you and I enjoy as we speak, broadcasting our views, our opinions, asking questions and so on, that is fundamental and of course that must be defended... we have to get the balance right, that if we allow ourselves to get into a situation where in fact we are suppressing our own individual rights in the wake of these dreadful atrocities, actually the terrorist begins to win, and that's the balance that I don't think is properly judged by the government."
On July 27, 2005, U.S. Western District Judge John Coughenour sentenced Ahmed Ressam to 22 years in prison. He released a statement leveraging the aging phrase, emphasizing the fair and balanced nature of the trial:

"I would like to convey the message that our system works. We did not need to use a secret military tribunal, or detain the defendant indefinitely as an enemy combatant, or deny him the right to counsel, or invoke any proceedings beyond those guaranteed by or contrary to the United States Constitution... We can deal with the threats to our national security without denying the accused fundamental constitutional protections.

Despite the fact that Mr. Ressam is not an American citizen and despite the fact that he entered this country intent upon killing American citizens, he received an effective, vigorous defense, and the opportunity to have his guilt or innocence determined by a jury of 12 ordinary citizens. Most importantly, all of this occurred in the sunlight of a public trial. There were no secret proceedings, no indefinite detention, no denial of counsel.

The tragedy of September 11th shook our sense of security and made us realize that we, too, are vulnerable to acts of terrorism.

Unfortunately, some believe that this threat renders our Constitution obsolete. This is a Constitution for which men and women have died and continue to die and which has made us a model among nations. If that view is allowed to prevail, the terrorists will have won."
On July 7, 2006, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, on a state visit to the U.S., made a statement using the phrase in question. "I would just urge the Congress to think carefully, [for] if the fight for security ends up meaning the United States becomes more closed to its friends, then the terrorists have won," Harper said.[1]